A proposal seeking to restrict political dynasties has been jointly introduced by Speaker Faustino Dy III and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos, placing renewed focus on long-standing calls for broader political reforms in the Philippines.
The two lawmakers filed House Bill No. 6771 on Dec. 10, laying out a framework that bars spouses, siblings and relatives up to the fourth civil degree of affinity or consanguinity of an elected public official from holding elective posts at the same time. They described the initiative as essential to widening public participation in government and preventing the concentration of power within families.
Citing the 1987 Constitution’s directive to prohibit political dynasties “as may be defined by law,” Dy and Marcos underscored in the bill that political equality is central to a functioning democracy. “The core of democratic governance is the principle of political equality, that every citizen should have an equal opportunity to participate in and influence political decision-making,” they wrote. The measure also reiterates the state policy to “promote equal opportunities for all citizens to participate in governance and serve the public based on merit, competence and integrity.”
HB 6771 classifies elective positions across all levels of government — from the president and vice president to senators, House members, governors, mayors and barangay officials — and defines who qualifies as a relative or spouse for purposes of determining prohibited political relationships.
While the bill advanced in Congress, Malacañang signaled support for anti-dynasty and related reform measures but stressed the need to vet them thoroughly. The President recently added four items to his legislative priorities: prohibiting political dynasties, revising the party-list system, creating an Independent People’s Commission (IPC) to investigate questionable infrastructure projects, and passing the Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro, speaking in a dzBB interview, noted that the President’s call for prioritization reflected his intent to see the measures adopted. “Many are claiming that just because he has not certified the bills as urgent, the President is not serious… If he were not serious, he would not have mentioned them during the LEDAC,” she said. Castro explained that certification has not been issued because the bills’ contents must be carefully scrutinized, adding that it is preferable to avoid “half-cooked measures.”
Meanwhile, Church leaders renewed their appeal for swift action. Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said the long-awaited anti-dynasty law must no longer be delayed, noting how entrenched political families have become. “An anti-dynasty law should be passed without delay,” he said, adding that citizens should “not tolerate political dynasties” and push for fresh leadership. “[We must] stand together and continue our advocacy until measures for non-repetition and accountability are fully achieved,” he added.
Business groups also weighed in, particularly on the CADENA Act. The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines said the proposed transparency measure would signal stronger governance standards to the international business community. “Greater public access to budget information is a critical step in strengthening trust in public institutions,” said Steve Winkates, Arangkada project director at AmCham Philippines. He added that the bill “will help to strengthen investor confidence, unlock greater economic opportunities and attract more investment.”
The CADENA proposal, filed as Senate Bill 1506 by Sen. Bam Aquino, aims to give the public better tools to monitor government spending as part of broader anti-corruption efforts.
